The question of what makes a great teacher has been lingering for centuries. There are many reasons why I consider myself lucky to be grouped as an educator. For one, I see the empowerment and education of adolescents as a privilege and a vocation. The students we teach are humanity's future. I plan to prepare these students as best as possible, so they are ready to take the world by storm. I strongly believe students need to be able not only to understand information but formulate opinions, dissect information, critically think and problem solve. In my eyes, the goal of education is for students to become confident enough in their own knowledge and abilities as a social-being. Students must be taught to freely engage in public discourse and become a contributing member of society.
The most learning, for both teachers and students, that happens in a classroom is within the first few days of teaching. This is the optimal time for a teacher to get to know his or her students and plan instruction based on that particular class make-up. After all, learning is enhanced by the physical space in which it resides. Having said that, I believe good classroom management will lead to effective teaching. I plan to create a safe and supportive environment that fosters a feeling of community within a classroom. While teaching, it is important for students to feel secure, so they are able to form positive relationships with peers and become properly socialized. Good classroom management doesn’t only foster desired behavior, but creates structure in the classroom that allows students to become engaged learners; denying any possible distractions. I believe these desired habits of students’ starts with the teacher modeling appropriate behavior and lead by example.
Since I have started my path to becoming an educator, I have steadily enhanced my personal knowledge base. I realized I saw something in myself that I had not recognized; my thirst for knowledge. I believe this is one of the most important traits to embody as an educator. I embraced this new spirit within and it opened up a vast array of new possibilities for me. "The moment we believe that success is determined by an ingrained level of ability, we will be brittle in the face of adversity." Josh Waitzkin's failure allowed for him to see he was not in-fact special or different than anyone else. It encouraged him to try new domains. Josh has a growth mindset. Students with a growth mindset believe they can learn and evidence shows that their grades increased drastically over those with a fixed mindset. I am a strong advocate for the growth mindset and plan to incorporate such philosophies in my classroom. The difference between the two groups is a different view of intelligence. The key to success is not persistence but the mindset behind it because we are not chained to our abilities. People with a growth mindset are most engaged when their brain registers what they can do to do better next time, instead of a fixed mindset person, believing in grades. I plan to focus on learning instead of judging. Fixed mindset may be mistaken for lack of effort but a good educator can see past that. In my classroom, the focus of praise will be on the process instead of the outcome.
I believe a good educator gears students minds towards thinking. Thinking, or metacognition, is structuring information and creating something out of it. There are six crucial modes of metacognition which includes critical thinking, creative thinking, system thinking, interdisciplinary thinking, science thinking, and emotional intelligence or prosocial thinking. Today, life is dependent on following instructions. In my opinion, teachers need to get thinking back in education instead of just following protocol. As a science teacher, I know how important it is for students to follow directions, however one should never strip creativity from students. There is no manual to life and education needs to breed creative thinkers who can become healthy and contributing members of society. Students need to learn how to create and manipulate ideas by thinking about thinking; or metacognition. I plan to teach my future students to make a distinction, form systems, recognize relationships between ideas of objects, and take multiple perspectives. We need to start these metacognition skills at a young age.
With that being said, I believe students critically think when they are asked thought provoking and strategically placed teacher questions. I am passionate about using questions to evoke curiosity and foster comprehension. Questioning helps us learn, explore the unknown, and adapt to change. Questioning is not always seen as a positive thing when coming from students, however it is one of the most powerful tools a student can utilize while in a classroom. With that being said, teachers must go out of their way to create conditions conductive to inquiry. There are a few simple steps I take when I plan essential questions into my lesson plans. Questioning needs to be seen as fun and conducive to learning by allowing students to tap into their imaginations and innate question-asking skills that make inquiry fun and engaging. Then, make questioning a part of a reward system, focusing on breakthroughs as a prize. Lastly, make your students lifelong questioners by making questioning a habit.
I know that it is my job as a teacher to be knowledgeable when it comes to my content area. It is just as important to know content, as it is to be enthusiastic about the way one conveys said content to ones students. One must passionately convey the relevance and importance of information learned. A teacher should connect content to real world issues and facilitate lessons, where students learn how to problem-solve and trouble-shoot. A great way to achieve this is through project-based learning; allowing students to actively explore and acquire a deeper level of comprehension. However, to do this successfully, a teacher must provide differentiated instruction so students can learn content effectively, regardless of their academic level or needs. With that being said, an educator should be well versed in asking for feedback; whether it be from co-workers, cooperative team members, or students; a good teacher uses reflective practices daily to enhance their own personal development.
Educators need to move away from only teacher-directed classrooms to focus on student-driven learning and constructivism. Learning is constructed in community and let the students form that community. Teachers must structure their classroom to foster a sense of community and equality. It is essential for educators to use all resources available to them. Educators can use each other as professional learning communities, collaborate on cooperative teaching efforts, parents, administrators, share ideas about technology integration and comprehensive assessments. My main goal is for students to foster comprehension and grow into confident and unique individuals. With that being said, I believe a science classroom should be littered with project-based learning products and meaningful classroom discussions based on inquiry. The vision I have of my science class is one with rich whole class discussions, which lead to the students coming to the teacher with new ideas about how to achieve goals. I plan to achieve these goals by creating high, but reachable, expectations for all students. I will draw off of my peers in order to assure emotional, social, and intellectual growth of all students who cross my path. I am growing everyday into the successful woman my parents believed I would be. I will never stop quenching my thirst for knowledge and improve myself as a shaper of young minds.
The most learning, for both teachers and students, that happens in a classroom is within the first few days of teaching. This is the optimal time for a teacher to get to know his or her students and plan instruction based on that particular class make-up. After all, learning is enhanced by the physical space in which it resides. Having said that, I believe good classroom management will lead to effective teaching. I plan to create a safe and supportive environment that fosters a feeling of community within a classroom. While teaching, it is important for students to feel secure, so they are able to form positive relationships with peers and become properly socialized. Good classroom management doesn’t only foster desired behavior, but creates structure in the classroom that allows students to become engaged learners; denying any possible distractions. I believe these desired habits of students’ starts with the teacher modeling appropriate behavior and lead by example.
Since I have started my path to becoming an educator, I have steadily enhanced my personal knowledge base. I realized I saw something in myself that I had not recognized; my thirst for knowledge. I believe this is one of the most important traits to embody as an educator. I embraced this new spirit within and it opened up a vast array of new possibilities for me. "The moment we believe that success is determined by an ingrained level of ability, we will be brittle in the face of adversity." Josh Waitzkin's failure allowed for him to see he was not in-fact special or different than anyone else. It encouraged him to try new domains. Josh has a growth mindset. Students with a growth mindset believe they can learn and evidence shows that their grades increased drastically over those with a fixed mindset. I am a strong advocate for the growth mindset and plan to incorporate such philosophies in my classroom. The difference between the two groups is a different view of intelligence. The key to success is not persistence but the mindset behind it because we are not chained to our abilities. People with a growth mindset are most engaged when their brain registers what they can do to do better next time, instead of a fixed mindset person, believing in grades. I plan to focus on learning instead of judging. Fixed mindset may be mistaken for lack of effort but a good educator can see past that. In my classroom, the focus of praise will be on the process instead of the outcome.
I believe a good educator gears students minds towards thinking. Thinking, or metacognition, is structuring information and creating something out of it. There are six crucial modes of metacognition which includes critical thinking, creative thinking, system thinking, interdisciplinary thinking, science thinking, and emotional intelligence or prosocial thinking. Today, life is dependent on following instructions. In my opinion, teachers need to get thinking back in education instead of just following protocol. As a science teacher, I know how important it is for students to follow directions, however one should never strip creativity from students. There is no manual to life and education needs to breed creative thinkers who can become healthy and contributing members of society. Students need to learn how to create and manipulate ideas by thinking about thinking; or metacognition. I plan to teach my future students to make a distinction, form systems, recognize relationships between ideas of objects, and take multiple perspectives. We need to start these metacognition skills at a young age.
With that being said, I believe students critically think when they are asked thought provoking and strategically placed teacher questions. I am passionate about using questions to evoke curiosity and foster comprehension. Questioning helps us learn, explore the unknown, and adapt to change. Questioning is not always seen as a positive thing when coming from students, however it is one of the most powerful tools a student can utilize while in a classroom. With that being said, teachers must go out of their way to create conditions conductive to inquiry. There are a few simple steps I take when I plan essential questions into my lesson plans. Questioning needs to be seen as fun and conducive to learning by allowing students to tap into their imaginations and innate question-asking skills that make inquiry fun and engaging. Then, make questioning a part of a reward system, focusing on breakthroughs as a prize. Lastly, make your students lifelong questioners by making questioning a habit.
I know that it is my job as a teacher to be knowledgeable when it comes to my content area. It is just as important to know content, as it is to be enthusiastic about the way one conveys said content to ones students. One must passionately convey the relevance and importance of information learned. A teacher should connect content to real world issues and facilitate lessons, where students learn how to problem-solve and trouble-shoot. A great way to achieve this is through project-based learning; allowing students to actively explore and acquire a deeper level of comprehension. However, to do this successfully, a teacher must provide differentiated instruction so students can learn content effectively, regardless of their academic level or needs. With that being said, an educator should be well versed in asking for feedback; whether it be from co-workers, cooperative team members, or students; a good teacher uses reflective practices daily to enhance their own personal development.
Educators need to move away from only teacher-directed classrooms to focus on student-driven learning and constructivism. Learning is constructed in community and let the students form that community. Teachers must structure their classroom to foster a sense of community and equality. It is essential for educators to use all resources available to them. Educators can use each other as professional learning communities, collaborate on cooperative teaching efforts, parents, administrators, share ideas about technology integration and comprehensive assessments. My main goal is for students to foster comprehension and grow into confident and unique individuals. With that being said, I believe a science classroom should be littered with project-based learning products and meaningful classroom discussions based on inquiry. The vision I have of my science class is one with rich whole class discussions, which lead to the students coming to the teacher with new ideas about how to achieve goals. I plan to achieve these goals by creating high, but reachable, expectations for all students. I will draw off of my peers in order to assure emotional, social, and intellectual growth of all students who cross my path. I am growing everyday into the successful woman my parents believed I would be. I will never stop quenching my thirst for knowledge and improve myself as a shaper of young minds.